Abstract

To the editor: Microbiology laboratories are increasingly using BACTEC instruments (Johnson Laboratories, Towson, Maryland) to monitor metabolic gas production as an indicator of microbial growth, eliminating tedious examination of negative subcultures (1, 2). Although the BACTEC system has been shown to be as reliable for detection of a wide range of microorganisms, isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans has been reported infrequently (1-5). Since installation of the BACTEC system in June 1984, 11 blood isolates of C. neoformans from five patients have been detected at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in New Orleans. Two cultures were screened as negative on the BACTEC